At 8pm eastern on Friday April 3, 2020 a new kind of 80s radio station was born when I introduced myself, talked a bit about the vision for the station, then turned to Kilroy for the first record. I remember the feeling of excitement as “Sign of the Times” by The Belle Stars played. My lifelong dream had come true at the age of 49, I was on the radio!
The format of Charlie’s 80s Attic was decades in the making, as I’d find myself humming and singing 80s songs that I hadn’t heard since the first couple of years of MTV’s existence. Songs that never saw the light of day on radio. I strongly felt that those songs, along with the bands and artists that created them, should be remembered and kept alive just as much as the music from the big stars like Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, George Michael and Janet Jackson.
Finally, in late 2019 the concept of Charlie’s 80s Attic was born. An 80s music lover, in his BASEMENT with crates of records and a trusty robot sidekick, playing BIG 80s hits, DEEPER 80s hits and forgotten 80s gems for the masses 24/7. With the help, know how, and experience of Todd and Benji, two long time radio guys, Charlie’s 80s Basement, which would become Charlie’s 80s Attic, would start being built from the ground up.
For the first year (2020) it was just me and Kilroy. I was at the turntables TEN HOURS a day Monday thru Thursday, EIGHT HOURS on Fridays and on air here and there on the weekends. I was bringing you the greatest 80s gems from 1980-1986 all day, and all night commercial free, subscription free and repeat free. Within the first year, we built a strong following and a great core of loyal listeners.
In early 2021, after appearing on an episode of Joe & Kari’s podcast “Hey! Remember The 80s?” I asked Joe and Kari to join the station. I felt that their passion for music, their amazing personalities and their dedication to keeping the great decade of the 80s alive would be a tremendous fit in the attic. And I must say, I was right! They brought a whole new vibe to the station with their knowledge of 80s music, their creativity and their passion.
We continued to add thousands of songs to our rotation with each passing year. We also expanded beyond our original format of 1980-1986, incorporating the year 1987 in 2022 and 1988 & 1989 in 2023. With close to 9000 songs in regular rotation, no 80s station can come close to our variety and our complete coverage of the decade. And we are never finished, as we continue adding new music to the rotation on a steady and ongoing basis.
We have added so much special programming over the years as well, 80s Deep Dive, Soundtrack Saturday, Dare To Be Different, Smooth Sailing Sunday, Twofer Tuesday, Wild Card Wednesday, Thursday Top 20 Countdowns, Bottom 20 Count-UPS, The Weekend Blast Off, The Friday MegaMix, Weekend Themed Specials, Saturday Night Dance Parties, Rocktober Specials, Old School Saturday Night, Bottom 40 COUNT UPS, Top 100 Countdowns, Holiday Weekend Specials, Summer Specials, and so much more…proving that streaming radio doesn’t have to sound like an iPod Shuffle….as we bring you the live DJ experience along with special programming.
Four years later, I am amazed by the support of our loyal listeners. We have truly become a big 80s family and it has been a pleasure getting to know so many of you! It is also amazing that so many of the bands and artists I grew up listening to have visited, commented and shared our social media posts and offered us encouragement and thanks for keeping their music alive. With an average of 1.8 MILLION listener sessions per month and close to 70,000 followers on social media, the station has grown way beyond my wildest expectations!
And that is why we are here. Of course we always want to reach more listeners, and bring in more followers on social media, but the top priority here in the Attic is keeping the 80s alive, bringing you music that perhaps you haven’t heard in decades (and in some cases, have never heard), and being your escape from the daily grind and stress. We enjoy going back to a simpler time with you each and every day. I thank you so much for being a part of this four year journey with us. Like I always say, we could not do this without YOU!!!
From me (Charlie), Kari, Joe, Kilroy, & Karen thank you! We love you all!
